Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Gneissmaker was another beloved local band of my youth. They actually thanked me on their one CD. Supposedly, they were about to break up when I asked if they'd play at my sister's birthday party (at the infamous House of Slapstick), but the request inspired them TO CARRY ON. And the rest is very obscure Twin Cities history.

I have a thing for the brutal minimalism of a heavy power trio. Gneissmaker were a gateway drug to many things, as I was untutored in the metal back then. The bassist was also responsible for a pre-grunge-explosion Melvins playing at the old Alma Mater outside on a Friday afternoon, to a handful of nonplussed students and me, quietly having an aneurysm.

Damn, I wish I'd recorded them live. They were a blast, even after they laid off the male erotic dancers. Their cover of "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun" was awesome. Here's their self-titled demo tape:

Friday, June 11, 2010

Over at Bitch, they were discussing action movies and how Hollywood still is reluctant to let a female star carry one. There's probably no way a bunch of older and uh, "career-challenged" women could be in a movie like The Expendables, but I can dream, can't I?